A system is described in which a fingerprint is manually coded by tracing certain ridges and noting events such as ridge endings and ridge beginnings.This code is sent by teleprinter to a central file where a computer identifies the fingerprint by comparing the code with codes previously entered in the file.The scheme for comparing codes is given along with some preliminary test results using typical fingerprints.(Author).

A procedure is described for computing a set of numerical descriptors that identify a single fingerprint.The procedure starts with the X and Y coordinates and the individual directions of the minutiae (ridge endings and bifurcations) of a fingerprint impression.Sets of descriptors are computed corresponding to groups or constellations of these minutiae.Descriptors corresponding to various fingerprint impressions are stored on magnetic tape.A fragment of a fingerprint impression such as occurs in a latent fingerprint may also be used.A second computer program reads the descriptors corresponding to two different fingerprint impressions from magnetic tape.A score is computed that indicates how well the two impressions match. Preliminary experimental results suggest that this procedure might be suitable as a basis for a single-fingerprint classification system.(Author).

The idea of The Fingerprint Sourcebook originated during a meeting in April 2002. Individuals representing the fingerprint, academic, and scientific communities met in Chicago, Illinois, for a day and a half to discuss the state of fingerprint identification with a view toward the challenges raised by Daubert issues. The meeting was a joint project between the International Association for Identification (IAI) and West Virginia University (WVU). One recommendation that came out of that meeting was a suggestion to create a sourcebook for friction ridge examiners, that is, a single source of researched information regarding the subject. This sourcebook would provide educational, training, and research information for the international scientific community.

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